A young girl, with scruffy blond hair hiding her face, was standing against the bottom wall. I approached and understood Nareszcie was not standing. Her wrists and ankles had been nailed down to the wall; thin lines of blood were running from the cold grey nails. Like the children in the forest, her clothes had been torn off – I could still see a portion of her white dress hanging over her left shoulder; she was otherwise completely naked. I soon noticed they didn't just stop there. The ones who hung her left a big slice between her two little breasts, going all the way down to her belly. Blood was flowing from there too, in big quantities. The red liquid was also present down her neck and shoulders, along with bruises which were testament to a long struggle against her attackers. I followed the trail of the blood, lowered my look, and saw it was also pouring down her legs. I followed it on the other side, and… and saw the place between her legs. Bruises were also present there – what could it mean? The place was… like a war scene itself. There were cuts everywhere, the colors melted one into the other: blue, red, black, yellow… I could barely see her white skin. I noticed that her legs, while hung, had been widely spread. Without breathing anymore, my eyes caught the sight of the floor right below her, and I immediately understood. There was a huge puddle of blood, the blood that was pouring from… that place. My shoes left a red trace when I made paces backwards. I caught my breath with something heavy stuck inside my throat, and raised my eyes again. I wanted them to catch the beautiful look of my friend, one last time.

'Naria…'

I tenderly moved her hair away and… and smiled when I recognized her unique face. It was maimed as well, but I couldn't help smiling nonetheless. Naria. Nareszcie. The courageous farmer. I called her one more time, and waited for an answer, which didn't come.

'Naria?'

Of course. She was dead. How could one survive such a big cut in the chest?

There, just like in the forest, I felt like I could take no more. But that time, instead of my stomach, it was the thing blocking my throat that suddenly released and gave the signal for my tears to go out. I cried until I realized I had wasted too much time: I was forgetting the most important person's safety to check: my mother's.

'Naria…'

I tried to cause a reaction on her face but it remained emotionless. Still crying, I held her in my arms and hid my face on her shoulder. I couldn't even hold her properly due to the nails hindering any move of her arms; but still, I had to do it. I looked at her one ultimate time and noticed something rather surprising: her lips, which I hadn't actually observed, were almost shaped into a smile.

I left her with this vision in mind, and ran towards home.

'Mommy!'

With this cry for help, I let the tears flow again; the subject was too sensitive. With Cirla dead, Margit dead, Naria dead; what if I found my own mother dead too? I could not bear it. I could not bear it a single second.

I think I threw all the energy I had left in that final race to home. When I arrived at our little farm, I was exhausted, all soaking in sweat and tears, and I had no idea where my mother could be.

'Mom!'

As in the other cases, I began by examining the garden, the flock – they were still at their usual location – and the places around the house, before entering into it. The surroundings seemed somewhat untouched. Could that be of good omen for Mom? I was hoping with all my heart that it was.

'Mom!'

She was not in the living room. Bad sign… I entered all the bedrooms – mine was surprisingly messy – and called her in vain. There were few chances she'd be there at that moment…

'Mom!'

I was about to give up and go to my room, without a precise goal, when I remembered the other place Mom spent a lot of time in. The kitchen! My heart was beating faster than ever.

'Mom!'

'Noah!'

I burst out crying when I heard my name spoken with the blessed voice. I rushed into the kitchen and found my mother lying on the ground, visibly weak, and almost unconscious. However, I still hid into her arms as I'd have done if she had been in good health. As soon as I caught my breath, I began talking:

'Mom! They raped Naria, they tortured Cirla and Margit, they killed their parents! There are Archadian soldiers everywhere, not to mention those evil Urban Units! They were in the for…'

'I know. Basch told me everything.'

'B… Basch?'

I hadn't completely forgotten about my brother, of course, but after searching for him in Waldgott, I had thought he would have been hidden somewhere in the village. Actually, I was expecting to see him there, in the house, looking after Mom.

'Where is he, Mom? Did he come here?'

'Y… Yes… He came and… He went…'

'Where?'

'I… don't know…'

'And you just let him out, did you!' I said, moving out of her arms in awe.

My mother sighed and tried to sit down on the ground.

'Please… understand me. I have had a crisis this morning… short time after you went out. I have been sick since then… Didn't have the energy to move. Basch found me in the same place you did… and after talking about… what's outside… he said he would check something in his bedroom. Can you go and tell me… if he's still there?'

'Of course he isn't anymore! He just…'

I had no idea what he did. Is it him who had left our bedroom in such a mess? Because Mom had no reason to do so. But neither did Basch…

'Sorry, Mom. I shouldn't talk to you this way.'

I caught her arm and helped her walking towards the living room.

'I've been told in Waldgott that Basch had come here, but I didn't expect him to leave so fast. To where? There isn't even a single safe place out there anymore.'

'I know…' Mom replied. 'If your brother has indeed left the house, I am severely worried. He was carrying a sword when he came here.'

'Don't… worry about the sword, Mom', I said in a somewhat reassuring tone. 'I'm sure he knows how to use it now, considering how long he's been practicing.'

I said this but of course, I was scared as hell myself. Basch was the only brother I had. He had to be alright. And come back soon to us. Eventually, I couldn't help but share some of my anxiety with her:

'Oh Mom, why did this have to happen? An invasion! What do these Archadians want? Why are they killing so many people? That's not fair! That's not justice!'

'Each of the persons in charge has… their own definition of justice… I am afraid.'

'But that is wrong! It's written in the 7th article of the…'

'Hush… Someone.'

I felt like my blood turned cold. I kept quiet and lowered my head. I dared to look outside the window… but there was no one.

'I thought… I thought someone was coming', my mother eventually said.

'Don't give me a scare like that!' I whispered, still frightened.

I lent my ear carefully and heard, indeed, some footsteps.

'They're not here', I whispered again. 'But they are close.'

Mom nodded.

'I still wonder why Basch went away without telling you anything!' I said angrily, forgetting my vigilance. 'And after seeing you on the ground! If you hadn't called me, I'd have thought you were dead.'

I was meaning every word. Why did you leave her, brother? Wasn't she the most valuable woman in your life, as she was in mine? Didn't you say to Bolesław you had to go back home? Where the hell had you gone, at that precise moment where we needed you? At that precise moment where we needed to stand together as a family?

'I don't know if it's safe… to stay here', Mom suddenly said.

'Why do you say so?'

'Open the door!' yelled a voice with an unfortunate typical Archadian accent.

All of my respiratory system stopped working. That was it. I was dead. We were all dead. Unlike Basch, I did not know how to fight, so I was useless to Mom. I would have hoped for a thousand better deaths than this, but it was too late. We were dead and there's nothing I could do.

'Smash it open!' said the voice, which visibly did not wait for my thoughts to get in order.

'No!' suddenly yelled Mom.

I stood there gaping. Why did she talk? Did she want a quick death?

'My son, go and open the door.'

'But! They are Archadians…'

'I know. Just do it. Please.'

For a second, I thought to refuse, but after all, we were all going to die. She was right: better sooner than later. With undead-like gestures, I walked to the door and opened it.

As soon as the lock was released, one of the soldiers rushed inside, rapidly followed by the other. No one else was following: they were only two.

'Who's there?' barked the second one.

Hiding behind the door, I could only catch my breath. Feel life one last time.

'Here I am', my mother said, who was not hiding at all.

'Who are you? Speak!'

'My name is Linda Gabranth. I am an Archadian citizen.'

Wh… Why on Ivalice did she say that? Did she have no pride? And even without considering the question, wasn't she in Landis at that moment? What reason did they have to believe her?

'Heh!' the soldier said. 'And I am the Emperor's son. Say who you are or the boy is dead!'

I gasped: they had seen me. I was right and they'd seen me. Both were holding rather scary swords. I could indeed be dead in a second.

'I swear I tell no lies! My first name is Lindiwe and I have grown up into House Gabranth, of lesser nobility, but still a noble house of the City of Archades! We used to live in Trant!'

'You can lie all the time you want, no one here is going to believe you!' the soldier replied harshly. 'Gruff, we do as Judge Petra said. Let's…'

And he took out his sword. I screamed.

'Wait', the other soldier said. 'I had a colleague in the capital who'd often talk about a friend of that name.'

'Which name?' the other said. 'Don't make us lose time!'

'Gabranth!' Gruff replied with some sort of impatience. 'I had seen him a couple of times; House Gabranth indeed exists, they live in the Trant neighbourhood, they're all blond-haired, like these two, and my memory just made the link with their lineaments.'

'So she speaks the truth?' asked the other with the same annoyance.

'Possibly.'

The soldier looked daggers at me, waited several seconds in a warrior position, then finally sighed and put his weapon back in its sheath… before taking it out once more.

'What about the boy?' he asked, pointing the sword at my mother.

'This boy is my son! Come here, Gabranth!'

Why was she calling me by that name?

'Come on!' she added.

I obeyed, gulping when I passed in front of the two dreadful men.

'Here he is. Gabranth.'

'I thought Gabranth was your family name!' Gruff said.

'That is correct', answered Mom. 'But I also gave my son that same name because I am much attached to my Archadian sense of belonging. My family has always been faithful to the Emperor.'

Where did she come up with all these lies? And above all, why was she telling them?